My Baby's Green Thumb

My DD had picked out a small purple petunia plant a few months ago while at a nursery. I went ahead and got it for her and had her help me to plant it in a pot. While I would have preferred it to be in my garden, I figured having in a pot near the back door would best enable her to care for and admire it. Well, care for it she has and admire it she does!

Is This Heaven?

No, and it isn't Iowa either. It was the annual Austin Pond Society plant swap! What fun! We had a pretty good showing and I think everyone had a good time. I came home with some wonderful plants and even some mystery plants that were doomed to the trash at the swap's end...and I just couldn't allow that! I'll be posting pix and more about the plants I received as I get them all planted and they grow.

By Golly, It Bloomed!

Earlier this spring, as soon as the leaves peaked through the ground, I went and dug up a slew of iris bulbs that we inherited when we bought our home. As though being in full shade wasn't enough, they were also in high dog traffic areas of the yard. As I'd never gotten any blooms from them in their original locations, I decided to move the bulbs despite it not being the best time to do so.

After having spoken with my mom and a local Master Gardener, I understood that the transplanted irises would probably not do spit this year but was told, repeatedly, to not give up on them because in a few years they would be SO very happy with their new full sun location...hopefully. Patience, by the way is NOT one of my best virtues, especially when it comes to gardening.

Well, by golly, I got a bloom THIS YEAR! It is a lovely light purple and I'm so excited I can barely stand it. Okay, so that may be the only bloom I get because the rest of the iris look a little puny but I got a bloom! Of course, as I only noticed it this am as I was leaving for work..

Speaking of irises, my water iris that Naomi gave me went nuts recently. First one, then two, then something like ten blooms at one time adorned the plant. Last night I deadheaded the plant and have two full blooms and about 5 about to pop open. Gorgeous deep purple blooms... WOW! Seeing that gorgeous display of color has made all the work we did on the pond worth it.

I LOVE playing in the dirt!

Garden Hoes February Work Day

Last Saturday was the year's first "Garden Hoes" workday. We met out at Naomi's to help prep her new HUGE veggie garden. Unfortunately, we didn't get as much gardening work done as we probably should have but definitely had more fun than we probably should have.

After a little work outdoors and a yummy lunch break, a few of us sat down and got crafty painting terra cotta pots for the Boys & Girls Club of Georgetown to use as give-aways at the Home & Garden Show on March 1st. We had TOO much fun doing this. A couple of the pots I decorated that I loved the most included my "Scooby-Doo", "Zannadoo" and "Eyeballs" pots. Naomi and Beth's pots were more of the beautiful variety where a few of mine were, well, a little "out there". It was a great time for a good cause!



Sadly, we are going to be saying goodbye to one our little group. She claims she hates our "cold Texas weather" and yearns for the warmer, tropical climate of Florida. In reality, we are trying to come to terms that she just doesn't love us... well, she does a little as she brought all her plants to our work day, since she couldn't move them. We love her for sharing her plants with us and I'm already working to give them all new homes in my yard. You will be missed though, Beth!